Chiron Corp

Chiron Corp., under fire for causing the flu shot shortage, reported a third-quarter profit Wednesday despite the write-down of its entire Fluvirin vaccine inventory. In announcing the results, Chief Executive Howard Pien said in a conference call that the company was focused on designing a "remediation plan" for its troubled factory in Britain so Chiron could return to the U.S. market "as soon as feasible." British regulators suspended the license of Chiron's Liverpool plant on Oct.

Chiron Corp., facing investigations into its role in the flu vaccine shortage, has hired Washington defense lawyer Robert S. Bennett to coordinate its legal strategy. Bennett, who defended former President Clinton in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case, is said to be concentrating on a criminal probe of Chiron by the Justice Department and an inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

U.S. health officials said Friday that none of the flu vaccine at Chiron Corp.'s factory in Britain appeared safe to use after finding evidence of bacterial contamination at the plant. Lester Crawford, acting director of the Food and Drug Administration, in effect endorsed the British decision to shut down the plant in Liverpool this month, a surprise action that has caused a massive shortage of vaccine for the coming flu season.

Chiron Corp., already facing a federal grand jury probe into its role in the flu vaccine shortage, said Wednesday that the Securities and Exchange Commission has begun an informal investigation. In addition, two congressional committees have asked the Food and Drug Administration to provide information on how much the agency knew in advance about problems at Chiron's plant in England. The suspension of Chiron's factory license in Liverpool by British regulators Oct.

U.S. health officials said Tuesday that they planned to steer scarce flu vaccine supplies to nursing homes, pediatricians and hospitals as the company that caused the disruptive shortage disclosed that it was under investigation by the Justice Department. Chiron Corp. said it had received a grand jury subpoena from federal prosecutors in New York seeking materials on its Fluvirin influenza vaccine and its regulatory problems in Britain. The Emeryville, Calif.

The head of the Food and Drug Administration defended the beleaguered agency Monday, saying it had received no warning from British regulators or from Chiron Corp. that the company's flu vaccine factory in Liverpool was in danger of being shut down. Acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said closure of the factory by British authorities showed the need for better communication with European regulators.

The acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday that he was pessimistic that any flu vaccine made by Chiron Corp. could be cleared for use this season. Lester Crawford made his comments at a congressional hearing in Washington as a team of FDA officials prepared to inspect Chiron's vaccine factory in Britain this weekend.

When Chiron Corp. sneezed Tuesday, businesses throughout the healthcare industry -- and beyond -- caught cold. But others may get a shot in the arm this flu season. Chiron slashed its profit forecast by more than half after British health officials suspended production at the company's Liverpool plant, blocking shipment of some 48 million doses of its Fluvirin vaccine -- almost half the expected U.S. supply. Chiron shares plunged 16%, or $7.44, to $37.98 on Nasdaq.

Chiron Corp., the No. 2 maker of flu vaccines, said Tuesday that it bought closely held Prion Solutions Inc. as it worked to develop a test that could be used to screen blood donations for a protein linked to mad cow disease. Terms weren't disclosed. Prion Solutions, based in La Jolla, focuses on research into variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other diseases related to the prion, a protein particle. Emeryville, Calif.